THE WHEAT CULTURIST. 245 



Those also that do not have chaff of a uniform appear 

 ance should not be selected, as chaff of different colors 

 and forms and partially bearded is a certain indication 

 of a hybrid grain. The aim should be to start with a 

 pure variety, if possible. Then prepare the ground by 

 thorough pulverization and manuring, as for a carrot- 

 bed, and plant the seed about the middle of September 

 in the latitude of New York city. Make a hole two 

 inches deep with one finger, or with a wooden dibble, 

 and one foot apart in rows each way, with one kernel 

 in a place, and cover the seed with mellow, rich soil. 

 See that fowls do not scratch up the grain, nor bite off 

 the tender blades after they have grown two or more 

 inches long. If the ground is rich, every kernel will 

 produce a stem that will tiller so extensively as to occu 

 py the entire ground with large heads of grain. Next 

 season, and the two following seasons, weed the wheat, 

 and reject every head that appears a trifle different from 

 all the rest of the ears. In a few years the identity of 

 the variety will be permanently established, and the 

 quality of the grain and its productiveness will be so 

 greatly improved that one bushel of seed will yield sev 

 eral bushels more of superior grain per acre than can 

 be grown on the same soil from ordinary seed. 



After a valuable variety of wheat has been well estab 

 lished, if proper care be exercised in selecting the seed, 

 from year to year, there is no more danger that an ex 

 cellent variety will degenerate, than that the South 

 Down breed of sheep will run out, when bred and 

 reared with care, from year to year. 



The &quot; North British Agriculturist &quot; says on this sub 

 ject : 



&quot; In every field of grain there are to be seen ears differ- 



